law schools in China. Chinese officials also promised to investigate "extra-legal activities" taken by Shandong province authorities against Chen and his family. Chen left the embassy of his own accord on 2 May, was reunited with his family, and admitted to Beijing's Chaoyang Hospital for medical treatment. During the initial negotiations in the U.S. embassy, Chen did not request asylum in the United States or considered leaving China, but instead demanded to remain there as a free man. However, soon after leaving the embassy, Chen feared that Chinese authorities would renege on their promises or take punitive actions against his family members. While in the hospital, Chinese security personnel barred U.S. diplomatic staff from meeting with him. Rumors emerged that Chinese officials had coerced Chen into leaving the embassy by threatening his family. U.S. negotiators stated that while in the embassy, Chen had been told by Chinese officials that if he sought asylum in the United States, his wife and daughter would likely remain under house arrest in Shandong. However, they maintained that they had not heard of the threats from local officials that his family would be beaten, and that they had not communicated such a message to Chen. On 3 May, Chen clarified to the BBC that he had become aware of the threats against his family after leaving the embassy, and at that point changed his mind about wishing to stay in China. On May 2, a spokesperson of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs demanded that the U.S. apologize for the Chen incident, investigate its acts and never interfere in China's domestic matters in such a way again. In an editorial on 4 May, Beijing Daily described Chen as "a tool and a pawn for American politicians to denigrate China". The daily also accused US Ambassador Gary Locke of stirring up trouble by sheltering Chen, and questioned Locke's motives. On May 4, after Chen made clear his desire to leave China for the United States, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson indicated that, if he wished to study abroad, he could "apply through normal channels to the relevant departments in accordance with the law, just like any other Chinese citizen." On the same day, Chen was offered a visiting scholar position at New York University. On 19 May, Chen, his wife, and his two children, having been granted U.S. visas, departed Beijing on a commercial flight for Newark,